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Monday

How to: Setup a Decorative Blog Background

Here are some step-by-step instructions to help you navigate your way to
installing one of my decorative blog backgrounds to your blog. The process is fairly simple and the best part is once done, you can easily change your background whenever you like.

All of my blog themes are now meant to be used with a modified version of the "Picture Window" template so if you don't have that installed or need help tweaking it you can follow along with this tutorial first: How to: Setup & Adjust the "Picture Window" Template.

Before we begin~
Within each of my designer blog themes and backgrounds are boxes filled with code...

Once you've selected a background you will need to copy the
code and paste it into a temporary location ~ I like using a text document,
such as "Notepad" (Windows users) since it's an easy place to temporarily store a snippet of code or text.

What's behind this? This
code is used in a sidebar gadget to tell your blog to load a background image and
where to draw that image from. The image itself is stored on a designated location on the internet.

So let's begin...

Begin by logging into your blog, then click the "Design" link in the top right corner of your blog...

Next click on the "Layout" link in the left side link area...

In this next screen we can see a type of skeletal version of your blog layout with rectangular boxes representing different aspects of your blog...

I find it easier to store my decorative background code at the bottom of my blog so that it's out of the way and I don't get it confused with others, so let's scroll down to the bottom and click on the "Add a Gadget" link...

A pop-up window will appear with all the various gadget choices Blogger offers...

We will be using the "Html/Java Script gadget so scroll down to that and select to add it, either by clicking on the title or on the blue + button...

In the next window we see a large empty rectangle under the title "Content"....

This is where we will paste in the background code we have saved from earlier. The code may look slightly different that what's show below, depending upon which of my codes you're using, but go ahead and paste the entire code into the box...

Once you have your code in place you can click the "Save" button...

That's it! You can now check your new blog background by clicking on the "View Blog" button at the top...

♫Ta-da!♪

You now possess the knowledge to change your blog background whenever the mood (or season) strikes you ~ Congratulations!

21 comments:

Wow, this is the best instructions yet. I have tried many other blog backgrounds. You explain it so simply and for me that is wonderful. I had no problems. Thank you will be purchasing the header portion soon.

Hi Cinara,Thanks for your comment ~ I am not sure what you are trying to accomplish. Do you know anyone who speaks English who could help you translate my tutorials? If not, then try using the tranlate button at the top of the page.Best wishes,

Please help! As per your instructions, I tried to instal the new template (the other one is gone), but it didn't work, the page is black. Can you help? Trying to use the Providence template.Thanks so much, Carol

Hi Carol, It looks like you got it to work ~ that's great! You'll want to follow along with this tutorial to fine-tune the Picture Window theme though: How to Modify the Picture Window TemplateBest~♥Sharon

Have just spent Sunday afternoon installing a background and header onto my new blog using your lovely clear instructiuons. Being a complete dumbo when it comes to HTML code and gizmo's I found the whole experience to be quite stress free thanks to your brilliant step by step explanations. Thanks a million.Hugs Mrs A.

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